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PS Vita Review: Sony Hits a Triple With its Latest Console

Sony’s PS Vita promises a new world of gaming while on the move, with a portable console that is the equal of the domesticated PlayStation 3. But the gaming landscape is different to that when the PlayStation Portable was launched. Can the Vita be a success?

Reviewing the PS Vita in isolation and you can’t help but fall in love with the hardware. Sitting in your hands it just feels right. My thumbs fell naturally onto the digital cross-pad, and the classic star-circle-square-triangle buttons. Both the analogue sticks (one for each thumb) are tiny works of engineering art with real movement on then. Surprisingly accurate, they are low on the unit, but not enough to unbalance it while using them exclusively.

The only issue that cropped up for me was the right hand stick is very close to the “X” button and that meant the occasional accidental press on the button or swipe of the stick, notably while playing the futuristic racing game Wipeout 2048.

That’s been the only time the Vita has felt cramped. It’s not a small unit, packing a 5 inch touch sensitive OLED screen between the controls, but neither does it feel too big. It is a shock going back to the original Playstation Portable devices, which feel child-like in comparison to the excellent workmanship on show here.

It really does feel like a matured version of the platform, and when you look at the gaming on offer, that’s no surprise. Technically there is compatibility with the PSP range of titles, although less than 300 are available for digital download at launch, more are on the way, which is good because I’m waiting to get Gran Turismo on this screen. Upscaling of older titles works in the same way as we’ve seen in iOS, and you can change colour palettes and the scaling methodology to get the best look. You can also reassign the second analogue stick to duplicate a PSP function (as the older device only had one analogue control input).

But it’s in the new games that the promise of the Vita is hinted at. To be fair no launch title will take full advantage of a platform, simply because the developers haven’t had time to play around beyond the basic implementations.

I wanted to point that out because in the glorious adventure that is Uncharted: Golden Abyss, the kinetic racing fury of Wipeout 2048, and the twitchy adrenalin rush of Super Stardust Delta, I can’t help think that there is so much more the Vita will be delivering in a year’s time, let alone in six years if it stays in the market as long as the PSP has done.

The specs on the Vita at this moment in time are cutting edge – they have to be because Sony are playing a long game here with the promise of a stable platform. This isn’t the life cycle of smartphones, but of a home console.

Make no bones about this point, the Vita is a games console. There’s no need to add portable or pocket in front of it, because that would sully the almost no compromise approach I think Sony has taken on this device. It’s been a long time in development, and the hope is for a long commercial cycle to deliver a hit for Sony, and the game studios and developers they hope to attract to the system.

And when you step back and look at the whole consumer electronic market, the Vita is… a bit of a gamble.

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Awesome review. Vita is set to become my primary gaming system, it’s a great system, with a wonderful selection of games to get stuck into at launch.

If Kindle can transcend the tablet/smartphone crowd to offer the best digital reading experience, then there’s every chance that Vita can convince serious gamers that Vita is worth it. The word of mouth on this thing is going to be great.

Yes. Most of the negative press the Vita has been getting has nothing to do with the Vita’s merits as a superior gaming device–the physical controls, dual touchpads, sharp screen technology, and unbeatable gaming titles–but concentrate on the idea that for a handheld console to be successful, it has to sell as good as the best smartphones. But with that logic, there’d be no sportscars and no fine restaurants, because these are comparatively low-volume when measured against family sedans and fast-food joints. But what kind of world would that be? Kudos to Sony for not selling out, and for being loyal to its customers.